ALBUM REVIEW: Symptoms Of Modern Hegemony – Scary Hours
SCARY HOURS is an appropriate name for a band. In the current climate, it seems like all we live in are scary hours. Whether that is the cost of living rising faster before our eyes, or the fact that America seems to be going backwards in time; it is no wonder that we turn to comfort. There is one fact which is true: music is a universal language. No matter what our background is in life, we are all united through music. If you feel happy, sad, or angry, music will always be there. Which is why SCARY HOURS have arrived at the perfect time. Their latest album Symptoms Of Modern Hegemony is full of anger, political lyrics, and a lot of heart.
Over 12 songs, the band take aim at the American political system. The album covers every genre of punk, from skate punk to old-school punk. Suffer Peacefully – the opening song – speaks about how society teaches us to hate ourselves over an outpouring of thrashing punk noise that leans into metalcore. Some people might be put off by the harsh noise; however, it is noise with a purpose. The only issue is, it’s too short, and feels like it is over just as it gets started.
This is the case across the album. The vast majority of the songs just about cross the two-minute mark. Of course, in punk music, the songs are often short. However, it does not feel justified here. On the other hand, there is the joy of hearing an almost raw sound coming from the band. In a land full of polish and autotune, the raw, rough quality to the album is a welcome break, but crucially it does not mean that the album sounds unfinished.
Furthermore, despite each song being very short, the songs transition into one another, making the overall record sound like one long song. On the other hand, they also keep their individuality. For example, the sixth song, Sackler Street, starts out with a spoken word advert before descending into a frantic and heavy breakdown, whereas Daily Grime is a short piano-heavy interlude that is a welcome break from the punk influences. It even toys with some electronic elements, which shows that SCARY HOURS are not afraid to play around with genres. It suits the band, and does not come across as something unexpected.
The final song, Menace Of Proportion, sounds like an outlier. For starters, it has a slow introduction that lures the listener in before springing into the usual punk. Secondly, it is the longest song on the album, clocking in at six minutes and four seconds. However, it uses those minutes well. The gentle introduction lasts over a minute, and the majority of the end of the song is given over to a monologue. The monologue is a little bit of a confusing one, because the sound mixing is not great, and therefore it is hard to hear over the harsh background vocals.
In conclusion, SCARY HOURS have created one hell of an album. Despite the short runtimes of the songs, and the confused sound mixing on the last song, Symptoms Of Modern Hegemony is a masterclass in punk music. Covering pretty much every sub-genre of punk, and throwing in a bit of metalcore as well, the band have shown that this is their scene. This album is for anyone who loves punk music, relies on music as a comfort, or is just angry at the world. SCARY HOURS are definitely needed in these times. Thank God, they’ve arrived.
Rating: 9/10
Symptoms Of Modern Hegemony is set for release on July 29th via self-release.
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